User blog:Nightstar Phoenix/Hogwarts Houses
Hogwarts Houses, an absurdly long essay. There's been a lot of discussion about sorting the Big Four and others into Houses at Hogwarts , the school of witchcraft and wizardry from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. These are my thoughts, long and rambly though they may be. I am attempting to make a guide as to how I personally sort characters. You must take into account that much of this is my personal theorizing, and you are perfectly allowed to disagree, argue, and discuss– that's what the comments sections is for ;) How this will work I am going to have two main sections of this post. The first is about my views on what each of the houses stand for; what morals and virtues they uphold, etc. There will be a tiny subsection in which I list other-fandom examples of characters I sort into that house. If you don't know who I'm talking about, ignore it. If you do know and have a counterexample, or want further justification as to why I sorted them there, please let me know so we can discuss it. I love to hear other people's opinions. The second section will be about the Big Four, namely Mérida Dunbroch of Disney-Pixar's Brave, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III of DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon and How to Train Your Dragon 2, Rapunzel of Disney's Tangled, and Jack Frost of DreamWorks' Rise of the Guardians. I will not be including extended-universe characters or add-ons in this section– i.e. Astrid Hofferson (HTTYD and HTTYD2), Queen Elsa of Arendelle (Frozen). They will appear in the first section. My motivation for doing this First, of course, understanding. I want to know. I love overthinking and reading into things and finding new ways to look at the world around me thought what I learn through fictional worlds. I am not trying to shove headcanons onto anyone. I am bringing this up because I'm still learning too. Second, I had a bit of a philosophical earthquake as a Potterhead. For the longest time, I wanted to be Ravenclaw. That's where the clever people go, where the smart people go, where I would want to be. However, when I took the Pottermore quiz, I was sorted into Gryffindor. Honestly, this is not such a big deal– I mean, it's fiction, yeah? But I was slightly disappointed. I had been veiwing Gryffindor as the common house, the self-explainatory house. I would have been happier with Hufflepuff, I didn't want to be in Gryffindor. Gryffindor was where the brave, perfect, title characters were sorted. I didn't want to be that. I didn't think I could be that. So I did some soul searching, and this comes up again in the Gryffindor section. The Houses 'Hufflepuff' Hufflepuff is hard to define. If anyone has any insight, please share it, I don't know if I'll do a good job with this section. Hufflepuffs are not exactly fleshed out in the Harry Potter series. They are known for being kind and loyal. But there are many motivations for being such– personal glory, compassion. To be branded with the badge of Hufflepuff by another, I feel, is like saying "you don't do much, so we'll put you here." But this can't be the case, it shouldn't be the case. A Hufflepuff is loyal and kind,'' ''but because they have such a huge heart. Yeah, that sounds lame, but don't tune me out yet. A Hufflepuff sees the world around them with empathy and innocence. They try to believe the best in people in order to help. They are healers, they want the world to be balanced and right and just. They try to feel as others feel, understand as others understand, and help them to stand on their own two feet. "I think that it is impossible to truly understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves," ''says Orson Scott Card through the character of Ender Wiggin in his book, ''Ender's Game. This is why Hufflepuffs are so full of love and compassion; they have empathy. Headcanon Hufflepuffs Rory Williams of Doctor Who (this one's up for debate), Gwen of BBC Merlin, Princess Anna of Frozen, Molly Hooper of BBC Sherlock 'Gryffindor' "Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart" That quote is the freaking most vague thing ever. Pardon me for a moment, but that annoys me. There are so many reasons to do things that people consider to be brave– the greater good, self-preservation, protecting loved ones, personal glory. You could stash anyone in Gryffindor with the right arguement. However, I think Gryffindors are more than that. After being "stashed" in Gryffindor myself, I think I may have ideas. Gryffindors are leaders, like Slytherins, but not in the same way. If you gave a Gryffindor and a Slytherin a shield and a sword to ride into battle, you could tell the difference in, I think, this; a Slytherin will use the shield to protect himself, a Gryffindor will protect his comrades with it. Not that Slytherins don't have friends, but their survival instinct will overrule. Gryffindors are protectors. They stand up to lead not because they are the most qualified, but because no one else can. They stand up to lead not because they want to, but because they have people to fight for. Of course, one could say they fight for a higher purpose. But in a battle, a soldier isn't thinking of a "higher purpose" or "the greater good." He is thinking of keeping himself and his companions alive. A Gryffindor is the soldier, out of the four houses. Obvously all Gryffindors are not the same. There are Gryffindors who are the most qualified to lead. There are Gryffindors that shirk their duties as Gryffindors (remember Peter Pettigrew). There are Gryffindors that lead in different ways that other Gryffindors. But at heart, Gryffindors are the first into battle to defend. I think I was sorted into Gryffindor, if not anything else, because I am an older sister. If something happened, my first instinct is to keep my sisters from harm. Praise God that I live in a secure area and the kind of things I would need to protect my sisters from only appear in my nightmares, but that is still me. Not all older sisters are like this, but this is me. This is why I am a Gryffindor. I am positively not the most qualified, definately not the smartest, or the cleverest, of the most inventive. But, if the situation arises, I will keep the people around me safe to the best of my ability. That is a Gryffindor. Headcanon Gryffindors Kristoff of Frozen, John Watson of BBC Sherlock, Stoick the Vast of How to Train Your Dragon, Rose Tyler of Doctor Who, Amy Pond of Doctor Who, Queen Elinor of Brave, Queen Elsa of Frozen, ''Ender Wiggin of ''Ender's Game, Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games, Steve Rogers of Marvel's Captain America and The Avengers 'Ravenclaw' Ravenclaws are also hard to define. They are often seen as the nerds. They are the clever ones, the thinkers, the philosiphers. Like Hufflepuffs, they want to understand, but for the sake of knowledge. They want to know everything, and they want to discover, not for the sake of having their name on it, but for the sake of discovery and the joy of learning. They want to understand the world around them. They are students even after they left school, because the world is their classroom and they never want to stop discovering. Headcanon Ravenclaws Ferb Fletcher of Phineas and Ferb, Annabeth Chase of Percy Jackson & the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus, 'Slytherin' It is difficult to find a fan-sorted Slytherin that is not sorted there because of negative attributes. To be fair, Rowling didn't exactly represent the Slytherins in a positive light. Every wizard who ever became evil, in canon, is from Slytherin, with two exeeptions. Those exceptions are 1) Sirius Black, who, though we know wasn't evil, was thought to be by most of the wizarding community– which raises the question why did everyone insist on telling Harry that all the evil wizards were from Slytherin if Siruis Black was a Gyffindor, and 2) Peter Pettigrew, which we know for sure is on Voldemort's side. Rowling never gave us a good Slytherin– yeah, Snape was okay, but he was a jerk for most of the series. What she gave us was Draco Malfoy, who wore the badge of Slytherin and tarnished it for the readers and for Harry. I'm going to be looking at positive traits, as I hve been doing with the other houses. Slytherins are the ambitious, and, I think, the proud. Both of these can be negative traits, and I am sure Slytherins show these traits in a variety of ways. When I use the term pride, I use it to all extremes. There will be Slytherins who show pride in the snobbish, Malfoy way, and there will be the Slytherins who are proud of who they are in that they are secure in their identity and no one can change them for the worse. They are certainly not the best, but they know they are unique and, in their own way, important. There will be those that rub this in other houses faces. But there will also be those who fly high for the sake of flying high, not caring if they flew the hightest. This is where ambition comes in. Slytherins are ambitious in that they want to use their talents to the best of their abilities, and are confident that they can. This is why a Slytherin is a leader; they are confident and, if they are not qualified, they will give it their all. Headcanon Slytherins Peter Wiggin of Ender's Game, Martha Jones of Doctor Who, Astrid Hofferson of How to Train Your Dragon, Tris Prior of Divergent (oh this one's going to be controversial isn't it), Tony Stark of Marvel's The Avengers and Iron Man, Odysseus/Ulysses of Homer's Odyssey, Achilleus/Achilles of Homer's Iliad. Additional Sorting Tips: House vs House Stuck between two houses? Gryffindor vs Slytherin Wierd trick: after losing an argument, a Gryffindor will find pleasure in slamming the door in your face, a Slytherin will find satisfaction in leaving the door wide open and knowing they made you get up to close it. This works, for real– for the longest time we thought my sister was Gryffindor, yet she always left the door open. Pottermore says she's Slytherin. Both Slytherins and Gryffindors are leaders, the difference becomes clear when you look at their motivation. A Gryffindor becomes leader when a leader is needed, a Slytherin becomes leader because they are confident they can. Ravenclaw vs Slytherin This one is surprisingly hard to distinguish, especially when you have ridiculously motivated and cunning characters like Sherlock Holmes or Artemis Fowl. Again, the difference is in motivation; are they curious and cunning because they are intelligent and have an innocent thirst for knowledge, or because they need the information to become more powerful? Intellect or power? "Knowledge is power" or "Art for art's sake"? Hufflepuff vs Slytherin Hufflepuffs and Slytherins seem to be polar opposites. A Slytherin can be kind and compassionate, but what to look for is what they're known for. Are they known for their compassion, and, if so, do they seem to be using that publicity for power? If the second is true, you've got yourself a Slytherin. Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw This is not where you seperate the men from the nerds, let me make that clear. Both are strong in their own ways. But when one is conflicted between the two strengths (I'll talk about Hiccup later on), this can cause sorting issues. Gryffindors are the leaders, the ones who stand. Ravenclaws of course have it in them to be brave when need be, but their first instinct is to find a way to solve the problem through reason. A Gryffindor will try to solve the problem in the quickest way possible. Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff This one is harder than it looks. Both are known for being loyal– one canonically and one by fan (mis?)interpretation. A Hufflepuff will let their friend fight their own battle to show them that they can, a Gryffindor will link arms with their friend and say "I know you can do this, but I want to be there for you." Both are the best friends you will ever have. But Hufflepuffs are not leaders– with exception, I'm sure, but at core, Hufflepuffs are not leaders. Hufflepuffs are the support. Gryffindors are the commanders. Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff This is difficult if your character has potential for both houses (I talk about Rapunzel later). Again, motivation. Are they curious because they want to understand enough to help, or, as I said before, "for art's sake"? The Big Four For the purpose of this section I will be using the Primary/Secondary House idea introduced to me by freedomandfiction inthis post. Hiccup Most people either sort him into Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. He does have many traits of Hufflepuffs. He is extremely empathetic– "I looked at him Toothless and I waw myself"– and because of that compassionate to a fault. As the son of chief Stoick the Vast, he is expected to preside over Berk someday in the future. He doesn't want that power, he just wants peace. But when Berk is threatened, and his friends look to him to take charge, he adeptly preforms his duty as a leader, protecting his own. He struggles with this in How to Train Your Dragon 2, as well as much in the later HTTYD books by Cressida Cowell. He is thrust into the position as leader, and acts with his power not for himself, but for others. Hiccup will always be filled with a thirst for knowledge. He loves discovery, whether it be a new quirk of his beloved dragon or an unexplored island. He would definately fit in in Ravenclaw. Hiccup, a Slytherin? I have to laugh a little sadly at this one. Insecure, gawky, nerdy Hiccup would never fit in in Slytherin. My ruling? I think the two houses he would fit most in would be Gryffindor '(Primary) and '''Ravenclaw '(Secondary). He would be a lot like Hermione, in that he is brave and protects those around him, and is always looking for new ways to solve problems and to learn new things. Jack Most people sort him into Slytherin Jack could be a Hufflepuff– he loves children, and loves to make them smile. He defintely has a heart for others. "What makes you think I want to be a Guardian?" was Jack's first response to being granted the role. He didn't want to be in charge of anything, he just wanted to have fun and make people laugh. But he will stand up and shield the people he loves whole-heartedly and eagerly. Eh, Jack could fit in Ravenclaw, at a stretch. I suppose he would like to learn new things, but he focuses more on playing and sharing his knowledge. Jack didn't know his center for 300 years, I don't know if Slytherin fits him. Not that a Slytherin wouldn't get lonely if no one could see them. I suppose, like all Slytherins, he wants to be remembered. And he will be. By the end of Rise of the Guardians, he is a Guardian. He is mischievious, but then, so can Gryffindors be. Could someone explain in detail why he belongs in Slytherin to me? My ruling? '''Hufflepuff (Primary), and Gryffindor (Secondary). Mérida Most people sort her into Gryffindor. Mérida doesn't strike me as a Hufflepuff– she is impulsive and doesn't care much for other people's feelings, at least at the beginning of Brave. She acts before she thinks. Sure, she can be kind and compassionate, but that's not what she's known for. Mérida's movie is titled Brave, can you blame people for throwing her into Gryffindor? She stands up boldly and fights her own battles and, when her mother and brothers are threatened, fights for them too. I think, if she taps more into her Gryffindor side, she will make a fantastic queen someday. Mérida strives for perfection, but not for discovery. She would rather accomplish something on her own than figure out how to do it first. Again, she acts before she thinks. I don't think she would fit in in Ravenclaw. Above all, Mérida hates to be controlled. She hates it when people tell her what to do. She wants to be her own master. While taking care of yourself is a full-time job, Mérida focuses too much on that. When she guides her steps in a Slytherin-like way, she hurts people. She would fit in in Slytherin fine– she is confident and grounded in her identity enough– but I don't think that would be best for her. My ruling? Gryffindor (Primary) and Slytherin (Secondary). She definately exhibits Slytherin traits at the beginning of Brave, but that's what gets her in trouble. When her life is put into perspective, and she looks around her to see the damage she's done, she realizes that being more Gryffindor would help her loved ones more. She has been using her Slytherin traits as a weapon, and it is time to raise her lion-crested shield. Rapunzel Most people sort her into Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Rapunzel looks around at the world with wide-eyed innocence and empathy, with the compassion of a princess, and is just what every Hufflepuff aspires to be. She tries to see the best in everyone. Sure, she was frightened and misjudged the crowd at the Snuggly Duckling, but nobody's perfect. That segment was a learning experience for her, and for them, and her Hufflepuff side ended up being right. Rapunzel does take charge in the canyon escape scene in Tangled, ''and does a good job of it. But she leaves the main battle, the one with swords/frying pans, to Flynn, because she knows he can do it. Not in the kind of way where she shrugs and says "Oh, Flynn will take care of it," but she is cheering him on, trying to help him be better. That stikes me as Hufflepuff as opposed to Gryffindor. She was trapped in a tower for eighteen years– more if you believe certain fan theories– can you blame her for being curious about the world around her? She loves learning, she loves discovering, she loves exploring. She would fit in Ravenclaw. I have heard arguments to place her in Slytherin, but not substantial ones. She wants to escape her tower not out of ambition but out of curiosity. I don't think she would fit in in Slytherin. Granted, due to her loving personality she would probably be friends with everyone, but that's not the point of Houses. My ruling? '''Hufflepuff' (Primary) and Ravenclaw (Secondary). She has the curiosity and love of a young child, and cherishes every person she meets and every new thing she is taught. She is the model of a Hufflepuff, but Ravenclaw wouldn't be too far of a stretch. Category:Blog posts